Al-Kafi · Hadith 9

The Book of al-Zakat · Who Can Lawfully Receive Zakat and Who Cannot · Volume 3, book 5, chapter 43, Hadith 9

Original Arabic text

9ـ عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ عَنْ أَخِيهِ الْحَسَنِ عَنْ زُرْعَةَ عَنْ سَمَاعَةَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلام) قَالَ قَدْ تَحِلُّ الزَّكَاةُ لِصَاحِبِ السَّبْعِمِائَةِ وَتَحْرُمُ عَلَى صَاحِبِ الْخَمْسِينَ دِرْهَماً فَقُلْتُ لَهُ وَكَيْفَ يَكُونُ هَذَا فَقَالَ إِذَا كَانَ صَاحِبُ السَّبْعِمِائَةِ لَهُ عِيَالٌ كَثِيرٌ فَلَوْ قَسَمَهَا بَيْنَهُمْ لَمْ تَكْفِهِ فَلْيُعِفَّ عَنْهَا نَفْسُهُ وَلْيَأْخُذْهَا لِعِيَالِهِ وَأَمَّا صَاحِبُ الْخَمْسِينَ فَإِنَّهُ يَحْرُمُ عَلَيْهِ إِذَا كَانَ وَحْدَهُ وَهُوَ مُحْتَرِفٌ يَعْمَلُ بِهَا وَهُوَ يُصِيبُ مِنْهَا مَا يَكْفِيهِ إِنْ شَاءَ الله.

Published English translation

9. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from al-Husayn ibn Sa‘id from his brother al-Hassan from Zur’ah from Sanaa ‘ah who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Sometimes it is lawful for one who has seven hundred dirham to receive Zakat but it is unlawful for one who has fifty dirham.’ I then asked, ‘How can that happen?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Sometimes the owner of seven hundred may have a large family to feed and it is not enough for them, so he can exempt himself and receive Zakat for his family. Zakat can become unlawful for the owner of fifty if he is alone and has a profession. He works and earns enough, by the will of Allah.’”

Narrator and transmission

See the transmission information preserved in the original source text.

Attributed scholarly assessments

Shaykh Baqir al-Behbudi: صحيح

Ṣaḥīḥ al-Kāfī, vol. 2, p. 39

Assessment transcribed from the source's named scholar and reference. No new grading or consensus is asserted; differing entries remain separate.

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translator: Muhammad Sarwar
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